DANA POINT – When avid whale watchers Elissa and Jody Thompson didn’t see sea life during the first hour of their boat trip from Dana Point Harbor, they thought something was up.

“We come out at least once a week and you see pods of dolphins all the time,” said Elissa Thompson, a marine biologist from Dana Point. “We came out and there was nothing. We (the boat’s captain) tried to find a fin whale for about an hour but there was no sea life around. Generally, whenever there’s a predator like a shark, that’s what happens.”

This time though, it wasn’t a shark. It was a pod of at least 15 orcas, including what boat Capt. Tom Southern said was a 3-month-old baby whale. The pod was spotted outside Newport Beach Harbor Saturday afternoon.

The killer whales, rarely seen, were the first spotted this year, Southern said.They were swimming north in about 300 feet of water not far from the Newport Beach Harbor heading toward Huntington Beach.

“We saw something and went full speed ahead into six-foot waves,” said Southern, a captain with Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari. “It was wild. Everyone was getting wet. They were jumping out of the water. First there was one, then two, then three and pretty soon it was 15, including a large male and a little baby. All of a sudden all of the whale-watching boats in the area pulled up.”

Before the whales disappeared, “They swam by the side of the boat, like to say ‘bye,’ ” he said.

Southern said he last saw killer whales a year ago in February.

What he has seen in the last two weeks, though, has been lots of sea lions. He’s seen as many as 100 at a time, something he says is unusual. The orcas hunt sea lions as well as gray whales. With an increase in the amount of squid in the area, Southern says it’s likely the extra bait has drawn more sea lions and with that possibly the orcas.

Orcas, like Shamu at Sea World, weigh about 6 tons and are among the fastest swimming mammals. They are about 20-26 feet in length and travel in family groups. They pass hunting skills through generations.

Elissa and Jody Thompson travel the world and photograph underwater wildlife. The killer whales may also be stalking the migrating gray whales, Elissa Thompson said. Some of the gray whales have birthed their calves in the lagoons of Mexico and are traveling north again. Thompson said the killer whales could be following the baby whales for prey.

“It’s unusual, you only see them once or twice a year,” said Jody Thompson, still excited from the encounter on Saturday. “We’re in the water all the time, all over the world. To see them close and in person like this is amazing. This is the first time I’ve seen orcas off the coast here.”

Faith Sheeks, of Orange, was on board with her parents and two siblings.

“It was really cool,” she said from the boat. “They came close to the front and then jumped next to the boat on the side. I saw one that caught a bird on the water and then took it down. They were so amazing.”

“They were jumping out of the water and playing really close to the boat,” said Faith’s mom, Blake Sheeks. “It was just beautiful. They were the first orcas I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Erika Ritchie reports on South Orange County coastal communities, military issues and Camp Pendleton for the OC Register. She explores everything from coastal access, environmental issues and marine life to city government, animal welfare and quality of life. She’s won many awards including first place in news (2016) by the Orange County Press Club for her coverage of record numbers of whale entanglements off the California coast. Erika’s covered military change of command and seen military affairs firsthand from the sea aboard a battleship, air from a MV-22 Osprey, and land including Pendleton’s International war games and San Clemente Island’s ordnance ranges. Journalism allows Erika’s penchant for telling human stories of conflict, struggle and joy. Her monthly Everyday Hero feature does just that, highlighting achievements of some of Orange County’s most dedicated volunteers and non-profit leaders. Since joining the Register in 2001, she’s at times covered every city in South Orange County delving into development, housing, transportation, county government and social issues. She’s often written about Saddleback Church and Pastor Rick Warren’s emerging national and global roles. Erika’s passionate about animals and outdoor adventure. She runs, stand-up paddles and skis - both alpine and x-country. She frequents Mammoth Lakes and Mountain for hiking, biking & skiing and for her dogs to frolic in the snow and lakes. She grew up bilingual in German and conversational in French.

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